The present invention is directed to windshield blinds or shades and, more particularly, to mountable sun blocking devices which may be quickly applied to and removed from a vehicle windshield for protecting the interior of the vehicle against the effects of sun's rays.
There are varieties of types of blinds or shades for automobile windshields and different means of fastening the same to a windshield or other window of a vehicle. The present invention is directed to easily removable, foldable and novel blind or shade devices to shut out heat produced by sunlight radiation with respect to windshield, side windows and the rear window of automobiles, sports vehicles, pleasure boats and small airplane cockpits when they are parked or moored in open space under the hot sun for hours and heat has accumulated inside the airtight passenger compartment associated with these vehicles.
With respect to motor vehicles, there is prior art including pull-down blinds for limousines, vans and camping vehicles, folding paper carton boards adapted for positioning on vehicle dashboards to shut out the sun rays during parking, etc. These devices may be permanently or semi-permanently installed like pulldown blinds. However, these devices are relatively flimsy, difficult to mount and have a short life span. There is no prior art which discloses windshield devices adapted for use in limited space, such as over a windshield of an automobile; to be repeatedly put on and taken off; to remain neat and flat when fully expanded; and adapted for easy storage.
From a user's point of view, there is need to have a removable blind or shade usable in cars, boats and airplanes, etc., which satisfies the following performance criteria: (1) the blind covers nearly the entire window area and shuts out most of the heat produced by the sun, (2) the blind is adapted to be applied in seconds, or less than a minute and removed by a one person without the aid of tools, (3) the blind does not leave any marks, dirt or trace on the wall or surface after repeated use of the blind, (4) the blind is rollable, foldable, or collapsible and does not need an overly amount of space for storage, (5) it maintains suitable tension while applied to a windshield, hence can remain flat, neat, adhering closely to the windshield, thereby remaining appealing to the eye at all times without being affected by gravitational force, and 6) the blind material is inexpensive but is effective as thermal insulation. Even though all of these criteria are relative, they cannot be expressed in absolute terms with respect to the degree of satisfaction, whereby violation of any criterion would be instantly obvious to the user who utilizes such a device.
Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to enhance windshield shades or blinds by devising the same to be completely collapsible, such as being rollable or foldable along horizontal lines as well as along vertical lines.
Another object of the present invention is to improve windshield shades to include specifically positioned fastening devices whereby the shades are adapted to remain flat and adhere more firmly to a windshield, or the like.
Still another object of the invention is to devise a windshield shade which may be quickly applied to a windshield and in a manner wherein the windshield is completely covered.
In order to avoid the problems and disdvantages discussed above, the present invention has been devised as a shade of approximately rectangular or trapezoidal shape, dimensioned according to the size of the host windshield to be covered. The material is preferably of insulated fabric, thick paper card stock, or a combination of paper, fabric, synthetics, foams, insulation sheets and other conventional heat reflective and insulative materials, layered or interwoven with each other. When it is not in use, the shade can be rolled as in the rolling of a blanket, or folded snugly into a coil, or zig-zagedly folded one panel after another as an accordion, in the length direction, so that its length of five feet or more is reduced to a roll or a solid rectangular deck of only two or three inches in size for easy storage. In the preferred embodiment and in other modifications thereof, the blind includes means for positively fastening each end of the blind to the host windshield which will enable the blind to remain flat and fully applied to the windshield.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent after reading the following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein: